In Swindon, four people died after consuming contaminated heroin.
Police have issued a warning to drug users following the discovery of a man deceased in the town centre early Sunday morning (3 June).
Despite the best efforts of rescue responders on the scene in The Parade, the casualty, who was in his 40s, was pronounced dead.
Detectives believe he took a contaminated batch of Class A medicines previous to his death, which may be linked to three other deaths in the last month.
According to Wiltshire Police, all four individuals drank what they believed to be heroin before suffering medical problems.
Since May 2024, police and healthcare experts in Swindon have been informed to a number of situations in which drug users have suffered severe health consequences from substances such as heroin and cocaine, necessitating medical attention.
It is thought that nitazenes, a novel synthetic opioid, was mixed with the heroin, posing a significant danger of overdose, drug-related hospitalisation, and death.
Superintendent Conway Duncan stated, “We are in close contact with our colleagues in Public Health regarding these circumstances, and we are keen to ensure that we protect people from harm wherever possible.”
“Of course, we would never promote anyone taking illicit substances, but we understand there are people with addictions, and it is crucial that they are notified about the batch of drugs.
This appears to be circulating throughout Swindon. “If you are a drug user in the Swindon area, we encourage users not to use alone and to carry the opioid reversal drug naloxone and be aware of the potentially fatal consequences.”
Anyone with any information or concerns about drugs in their community is advised to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
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